“Death Valley Sand Dunes”

Views from the Flying Carpet Fine Art Print series

Greg photographed “Death Valley Sand Dunes,” southbound from Furnace Creek, homeward bound to Arizona. To comprehend the scale, note the encampment at left of photo. (Click on photo to see a larger image.)

Death Valley is the most other-worldly place Jean and I have ever encountered, both on the ground and from aloft. Swirling “salt devils” arise from bone-white salt flats to pierce a cobalt sky, contrasting against shockingly vibrant mineral deposits tinting the surrounding cliffs and mountains with unnatural color.

“I’m entranced by this picture and the way that the aerial perspective confuses a viewer’s sense of scale. The monochromaticpalette of creams, tans, and browns makes this a lovely and soothing image, but a closer examination reveals that there’s more than meets the eye. The patterns and details shift when you realize that the little light shapes on the picture’s left edge represent an encampment of people and that the sand that forms much of the picture are massive, windswept dunes.”